National Air Guard and Flight Following Remote Bases

Here is a list of remote base locations for each dispatch center for these two nets. I will use these two abbreviations, first, "NFF" for National Flight Following and "AG" for National Air Guard.

Angeles

AG: Mt. Waterman
NFF: Frazier Mtn. and Mt Waterman

Cleveland

AG: Santiago Peak
NFF: Santiago Peak

El Dorado

AG: Camino and South Lake Tahoe
NFF: Camino

Inyo

AG: Silver Peak
NFF: Silver

Klamath

AG: Antelope
NFF: Gunsight

Lassen

No locations available

Los Padres

AG: Santa Ynez Peak
NFF: Santa Ynez Peak

Mendocino

No locations available

Modoc

AG: Happy Camp (not the one on the Klamath NF)

Plumas

AG: No location given, Mt. Hough is a possibility
NFF: Red Hill

San Bernardino

AG: San Bernardino
NFF: San Bernardino

Sequoia

AG: Shirley Peak
NFF: Breckenridge and Jordan Peak

Shasta-Trinity

No locations given

Sierra

AG: Mt. Bullion
NFF: Mt. Bullion

Six Rivers

No locations available

Stanislaus

AG: Mt. Elizabeth
NFF: Bald Mtn. Helibase

Tahoe

AG: St. Johns Mtn.
NFF: Grouse Ridge

North Ops (Redding)

AG: Bulley Choop
NFF: Hayfork Bailey

South Ops

AG: Riverside
NFF: Riverside


I'm not sure of additional remote base sites installed for Cal Fire Emergency Communication Centers. They might use one of the above or have some installed for their own use. I'm not sure if state agencies are allowed to use National Flight Following. Perhaps other members have heard radio traffic that might answer that question.

Hello Exsmokey: Again a great posting, hope all is well with you.

Thanks a million for defining the abbreviations, there so many great postings that give info without defining the abbreviations, as the writer takes it for granted that everyone knows what the abbreviations mean. Not so.

I believe the frequencies for the remoter bases are 168.625 and 168.650 MHz that you are talking about, straighten me out here please if I got it wrong.

Planning a trip to Yosemite in the near further, will be listening around....

Again great posts.

Jay in the Mojave

Hi Fred, since San Berdo is the largest county in California and larger than some states...where are they tx from ? Mountain?

Same for riverside?

Thanks for you last post...great info...

scottyhetzel said:

Hi Fred, since San Berdo is the largest county in California and larger than some states...where are they tx from ? Mountain?

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I am able to hear "South Ops" on AirGuard simultaneously in the San Bern Valley as well as via a remote feed in the Victor Valley. This tells me they are using (most likely) Strawberry Peak near Crestline.

ExSmokey: can you clarify "San Bernardino"? Is that a generic location description (i.e. Mountains above San Bernardino) or is their transmitter actually at the FICC in San Bernardino?

I've been informed that there are additional remote bases maintained by Cal Fire. The information I came across only covers federal sites. I did not know this until today.

JayMojave: good writing and in particular scientific, investigative and court of law written materials require that all abbreviations be defined the first time they are used. Example, "upon arrival ;paramedics found the patient in an ALOC (Altered Level of Consciousness) of 3, unable to recall event." The initial examination by the on call emergency physician approximately 25 minutes later found the patient in ALOC 1.

We live in a time where everyone wants to use abbreviations, even when they don't save any time. Like you stated, people just assume everyone knows what the abbreviation means.

scottyhetzel and f40ph: What I posted is the best I have as far as locations. In most cases, Air Guard and National Flight Following remote bases are located at the hub of a dispatch center's radio system. The hub is a high place where the path between the dispatch center and the hub is without obstruction for microwave and UHF links. I'm not familiar enough with the San Bernardino (SBNF), BLM CA Desert District (CDD) radio systems to say.

I received some information yesterday that Cal Fire built and maintains additional National Flight Following remote bases. I think this is true for Air Guard as well. In Arizona the BLM maintains one Air Guard remote base and at least one in Nevada. I don't believe they maintain any in California.

Busy season for Cal Fire In Lake Co this year so far. I've been listening. Caught one time St Helena ECC calling air attack on local command couple of times without contact. Then they popped up on Air Guard making the call. Surprised me. Sounded the same so I suppose both were off the same mountaintop.

ramal121 said:

Busy season for Cal Fire In Lake Co this year so far. I've been listening. Caught one time St Helena ECC calling air attack on local command couple of times without contact. Then they popped up on Air Guard making the call. Surprised me. Sounded the same so I suppose both were off the same mountaintop.

Click to expand...

I've not been to the Napa-Sonoma-Mendocino area in quite a number of years. I can't remember if locals pronounce St. Helena as "HELL a na" or "Ha LEEN a." The first pronunciation is used for Helena, Montana, but somewhere in the back of my mind I seem to remember the second bring used for the town out your way.

I've recently heard from others in both northern and southern California that north and south ops work distant NFF and Air Guard remote bases. It seems to me that we are far from understanding how these two remote base nets work.

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